The invention relates to brainwave training, electromyography training, dichotic learning and accommodation training.
It is known that then a subject is in the alpha state (i.e. is in the state in which the brain emits alpha waves), the subject's performance improves; nervous tension is reduced, reaction times decrease, attention becomes heightened, etc. Alpha training has consequent been investigated as a technique by which, e.g., athletic performance can be improved.
However, alpha training has heretofore been carried out with the subject's eyes closed. This is because it has generally been believed that a subject cannot enter the alpha state then the subject has open eyes and something to look at. As a result, persons those performance depends upon vision (e.g. fighter pilots, target shooters etc.) have heretofore been unable to benefit from open-eye alpha training.
The present invention proceeds from the discovery that existing beliefs regarding the alpha state are erroneous. In particular, the present invention proceeds from the discovery that a subject can be trained to enter the alpha state not only with eyes open, but with the eyes detected upon a visual image. Furthermore, the present invention proceeds from the discovery that accommodation training is--contrary to conventional wisdom in the art--a most efficient way in which to accomplish alpha training.
Brainwave training is also considered useful for children with learning disabilities. Such children tend to be in the theta state (i.e. in the state in which their brains emit theta waves) and also tend to be hyperopic. It has now been discovered that such children may be treated by alpha training, implemented by accommodation training.
As previously practiced, accommodation training has been directed to improving the subjects vision. U.S. Pat. No. 4,162,828 discloses apparatus which directly measures, in real time, the refraction of the eye. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,533,221 and 4,660,945 disclose that apparatuses of this type can, with appropriate use of biofeedback techniques, be used to train a patient to improve his or her visual focusing ability even in the absence of corrective lenses. In these devices, the refraction of the eye is measured and used to produce a tone to which the patient may listen. The patient may then be trained to be able to control his eye focusing by, e.g., learning how to drive up the pitch of the tone. Training programs of this sort are known by the general term "accommodation training".
It has now been discovered that accommodation training can be used for alpha training, and not merely for vision improvement. It can now be shown that most if not all subjects have an accommodation window. When the subject focuses to an accommodation level which is within this window, the subject's muscle tension diminishes and the subject enters the alpha state. The accommodation training is so programmed that the subject is taught how to enter the alpha state so as to facilitate entry into the alpha state when this is required by the performance demands of, e.g., athletic competition, air combat, etc.
Individuals such as fighter pilots, etc. are required to process many channels of information simultaneously. For example, if a pilot spots a potential threat, he must determine from the threat's behavior whether the threat is hostile or not. Additionally, the pilot must be aware of the condition of his aircraft and must be prepared, as required, to respond to commands from his superiors, to take evasive action or to attack the threat. To accomplish all these objectives simultaneously, the pilot must be able to, e.g., interpret the outputs from his instrument panel, to hear and respond to commands from his communications equipment, to steer and control his aircraft and to monitor the behavior of the threat, all at the same time.
This cognitive process, by which a subject learns to deal with different channels of information simultaneously, is known as dichotic learning. It has now been discovered that by modifying apparatus which was previously used for accommodation training alone, a subject can be trained in dichotic learning.
One object of the invention is to improve existing apparatus for accommodation training so as to make it useful for open-eye alpha training of patients (like Olympic athletes and fighter pilots) who entirely lack common vision disorders. Another object is to improve existing apparatus for accommodation training so as to make it useful for training patients in dichotic learning.
Still another object is to generally improve on known equipment of this general type.
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, conventional accommodation training equipment is modified by providing electroencephalography (EEG) apparatus for monitoring of a patient's brainwaves. By teaching the patient to remain in the alpha state while performing vision and/or hearing related exercises, the patient may be trained to enter and remain in the alpha state where circumstances require this or make it advantageous. In preferred embodiments, electromyography (EMG) apparatus is also provided for monitoring muscle tension; such apparatus advantageously monitors the tension of the frontalis muscle and may also be used to monitor the tension of other muscles as well.
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, EMG training can be carried out using the electromyography apparatus referenced above. This is useful when the patient reaches a plateau where progress in alpha training is temporarily blocked.
In accordance with still another aspect of the invention, conventional accommodation training equipment is modified by providing apparatus to project images onto the patient's eyes in response to video signals. This permits the patient to be trained in dichotic learning.
In accordance with a further aspect of the invention, a two-dimensional photosensitive matrix, such as a two-dimensional CCD matrix, is used instead of the linear CCD array which has been used before. This has the unexpected advantage that, by using a computer, it becomes possible to distinguish between changes in accommodation and changes in eye position. As a result, it is possible to train individuals who suffer from multiple vision disorders. Additionally, it is much easier to use the apparatus because the computer can be programmed to register baseline information about the patient and to monitor, on a real time basis, deviations from such baseline information. This avoids the need for repeated manual readjustments of the apparatus, which would otherwise be necessary.